Page 20 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

Anger flared inside me. Wonderful. Not only did I have Justin making threats to take Annie away from me, and Smoke wanting to protect me by involving me in his goddamn MC, now I had to find myself another job.

Life was just getting better and better.

Swallowing the few choice words I wanted to level at both Carl and Smoke, I set my jaw, collected my purse and strode out from behind the bar. I headed towards the exit, not bothering to look behind me to see if Smoke was following.

Slamming open the door, I stepped out onto the street, then headed straight towards the bus stop.

‘Cat—wait up.’

I didn’t.

Frustrated rage burned in my gut. Rage at the world for the situation I was in, for all the decisions I’d made in good faith that had turned out to be really shitty ones that had not only put me at risk, but also my kid.

I thought Justin was one of the good guys. Clean-cut and earning good money—not some low-life asshole like my dad. I wasn’t going to be like my mother, attaching myself to some man because I was desperate for drugs or love or whatever other crap people get needy over.

I was going to fall for a good man and we’d have a good life together. Have great kids and a nice place and a fulfilling career.

Instead all I got were black eyes, a shitty apartment and a hand-to-mouth existence.

There was only one good thing I’d got from Justin and that was Annie. Now she was under threat, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I hated being so helpless. It brought back all those crappy feelings I’d had when Justin first showed his true colours. Of powerlessness. Of worthlessness. Of weakness.

I’d promised myself never again, and yet somehow he still had the power to hurt me.

‘Cat.’ Warm fingers wound around my arm and held on, bringing me up short. ‘Stop.’

I halted, keeping my gaze on the bus stop ahead of me. ‘Thanks for making me lose my job, Smoke,’ I said. ‘I’m sure I really don’t need that money.’

‘It was a shitty job anyway.’ He sounded completely unrepentant. ‘And I have money if you need it.’

Arrogant son of a bitch.

I turned to look at him, his handsome face shadowed by the streetlight behind him. The intense look in his eyes hadn’t faded one iota, making me feel restless and shaky, wanting something I couldn’t put a name to.

‘The money isn’t the point,’ I said. ‘You made me lose my job, and I’m not feeling very happy about that right now.’

‘Sure, you’re pissed about the job, but tell it like it is, Cat. You don’t like my idea.’

‘About being your old lady? Of course I don’t like it. I think it’s stupid.’

Something crossed his face—I didn’t know what it was. Maybe hurt or disappointment or a combination of both. And his mouth hardened. He didn’t often get pissed with me, but I knew when he was. Like now.

‘Yeah, well, maybe you should stop being so fucking one-eyed about the club.’ There was a dangerous edge to his voice. ‘Maybe you should stop thinking about your own issues for a change and start thinking about Annie’s.’

Anger flared inside me, hot as a Fourth of July bonfire. I’d just lost my job because of him, and now he was telling me I wasn’t thinking of my kid?

Everything I did was for her. Everything.

‘Don’t you dare tell me I’m not thinking of her just because you’re pissed that I didn’t like your idea.’ I jerked my arm out of his hold, too angry with him to think about what I was saying. ‘She’s my kid—not yours. You’re not her father. You don’t get a say!’

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